Willpower

Willpower: 

The Fair-weather Friend

Willpower sure sounds like a great thing. We are led to believe that we have enough of it to fight off every temptation that comes our way. And sometimes it works. But let me tell you a little secret about willpower. Willpower is your best friend when things go well, but it's the first friend to check out when you get weary. I have found that if I really don't want to do something, my mind gives me plenty of reasons why I don't have to. My emotions even join in, saying, "I agree because I don't feel like doing it anyway."

Our soul (mind, will, emotions) would love to run our lives, but the Bible says we are to be led by God's Spirit. We are never instructed to be willpower-led, we are told to be Spirit-led. Willpower and discipline are important and vitally necessary to a successful life, but willpower alone won't be enough. Determination gets you started and keeps you going for awhile, but it is never enough to bring you across the finish line. 

Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV) 

says, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts."

What happens if, instead of turning first to willpower in your time of need, you turn to God instead? 

God releases His power into your willpower and energizes it to bring you across the finish line. Willpower does not get the credit for our success, God does. 

Jesus said in John 15:5 (AMP),

 "Apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing." This is one of the most important and most difficult lessons we must learn if we want to enjoy the life Jesus died to give us.

From the book New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2007 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved. 

My Time with God: 365 Daily Devotions https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1473662370/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fk8qAbGDZM4ZY

EnjoyStrengthening Your Faith

Romans 10:17 is the verse I would like for you to read today. It says,

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

To fully understand this verse, you need to know that if you are saved, faith has already been deposited in your heart. It is part of your spiritual DNA. Romans 12:3 says that, God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Faith is something He has already given.

It is up to you to develop that faith. It is up to you to do something with it. How do you develop it? You develop it first by hearing the Word of God.

The Bible – God’s Word – is the food. As you feed upon it, your faith will be strengthened.

You know those body builders, men and women who are constantly pumping weights? Well, if you talk to any serious body builder, one of the first things they will refer to is diet. You have to eat the right kind of diet if you are going to build muscle mass. Usually, their diet is protein-rich.

They faithfully drink their protein shakes and eat their tuna fish sandwiches, which, when they are consumed and digested, become the raw materials that build muscle mass.

As you feed upon and digest God’s Word, that truth becomes the raw material that will build faith. It is faith food.

Most people who struggle with their faith are feeding on the wrong things. Faith comes unconsciously when you feed upon God’s Word.

So today, if you feel like you are struggling in your faith, then change your diet. Start feeding more on God’s Word!

Check out our website for more helpful resources: AnswersBC.org

CONFESSING OUR SINS

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." — 1Jn 1:8-9.

TO SIN is to miss the mark! Such is the meaning of the original word.

When the prodigal returned, his first words were; "Father, I have missed the mark." Are we not always missing the mark, coming short? Sin is negative as well as positive. The Confession of the Church of England and the Shorter Catechism both agree in this: "We have done the things that we ought not; we have left undone the things that we ought to have done." Sin consists, not only in the positive transgression of the law of God, but in the want of conformity to His Will. It is needful to use this two-pronged fork. If a number of men are on their way to the recruiting-station and the standard is to be exactly six foot. They are all under that height, but the tallest of them glories in the fact that he is a clear two inches above the rest of his fellows. It may be so, but he will be as certainly rejected as the shortest, because even he comes below the standard. You may be better than scores of people in your circle, but you will need Christ's forgiveness and salvation equally with the worst!

In dealing with sin, therefore, there must be confession. "Do not hide, nor cloak them before the face of your Heavenly Father, but confess them with a patient, meek, and contrite heart." Do not wait for the hour of evening prayer, nor even for the opportunity of being alone, but in the busy street, in the midst of daily toil, lift up your heart to Christ if you have done wrong, and say: "I have gone astray: seek Thy servant."

It is not enough to confess to Christ, if you have sinned against another, you must first go and be reconciled to him, and then come and offer your gift at the altar. Confess, and make good! It is not enough to be extraordinarily pleasant, or suggest a solarium; you must definitely ask forgiveness!

When God forgives He forgets (Isa 43:25). As David puts it, and he had reason to know, "He restoreth my soul." Remember that He delighteth in mercy. He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse. Through the Sacrifice of Calvary God can be absolutely just, and at the same time the Justifier of them who believe in Jesus.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, I thank Thee for Thy forgiving, pitying love. I gratefully realise that my sin cannot alter Thy love, though it may dim my enjoyment of it. But I pray Thee to set me free from the love and power of sin, that it may not intercept the light of Thy countenance. AMEN.

(Grace for the Moment)https://youtu.be/TDPC14FjTkU

I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST!

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ,.... The reason why he was so ready and willing to preach it, even where he ran the greatest risk of his character and life, was, because it was "the Gospel of Christ" he preached, and he was not ashamed of it. This supposes that some were, though the apostle was not, ashamed of the Gospel; as all such are who hide and conceal it, who have abilities to preach it, and do not: or who preach, but not the Gospel; or who preach the Gospel only in part, who own that in private, they will not preach in public, and use ambiguous words, of doubtful signification, to cover themselves; who blend the Gospel with their own inventions, seek to please men, and live upon popular applause, regard their own interest, and not Christ's, and cannot bear the reproach of his Gospel. It expresses, that the apostle was not ashamed of it; that is, to preach it, which he did fully and faithfully, plainly and consistently, openly and publicly, and boldly, in the face of all opposition: and it designs more than is expressed, as that he had the utmost value for it, and esteemed it his highest honour that he was employed in preaching it: his reasons for this were, because it was "the Gospel of Christ"; which Christ himself preached, which he had learnt by revelation from him, and of which he was the sum and substance: and because

it is the power of God; not essentially, but declaratively; as the power of God is seen in making men ministers of it, in the doctrines held forth in it, in the manner in which it was spread in the world, in the opposition it met with, in the continuance and increase of it notwithstanding the power and cunning of men, and in the shortness of time, in which so much good was done by it in the several parts of the world: it is the power of God organically or instrumentally; as it is a means made use of by God in quickening dead sinners, enlightening blind eyes, unstopping deaf ears, softening hard hearts, and making of enemies friends; to which add, the manner in which all this is done, suddenly, secretly, effectually, and by love, and not force: the extent of this power is,

unto salvation; the Gospel is a declaration and revelation of salvation by Christ, and is a means of directing and encouraging souls to lay hold upon it. The persons to whom it is so, are in general,

everyone that believeth: this does not suppose that faith gives the Gospel its virtue and efficacy; but is only descriptive of the persons to whom the Gospel, attended with the power and grace of God, is eventually efficacious: and particularly it was so,

to the Jew first; who as they had formerly the advantage of the Gentiles, much every way, through the peculiar privileges which were conferred on them; so the Gospel was first preached to them by Christ and his disciples; and even when it was ordered to be carried into the Gentile world, it was to begin with them, and became effectual for the salvation of many of them:

and also to the Greek; to the Gentile; for after the Jews had rejected it, as many being called by it as Jehovah thought fit, at that time, it was preached to the Gentiles with great success; which was the mystery hid from ages and generations past, but now made manifest.

The Cure for Disappointment

The ways of God are without fault. — Psa 18:30

When God doesn't do what we want, it's not easy. Never has been. Never will be. But faith is the conviction that God knows more than we do about this life and He will get us through it.

Remember, disappointment is cured by revamped expectations.

I like the story about the fellow who went to the pet store in search of a singing parakeet. Seems he was a bachelor and his house was too quiet. The store owner had just the bird for him, so the man bought it.

The next day the bachelor came home from work to a house full of music. He went to the cage to feed the bird and noticed for the first time that the parakeet had only one leg.

He felt cheated that he'd been sold a one-legged bird, so he called and complained.

"What do you want," the store owner responded, "a bird who can sing or a bird who can dance?"

Good question for times of disappointment.

He Still Moves Stones

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

1. (Heb 13:8) The enduring principle: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

a. Jesus Christ is the same: The unchanging nature (which theologians call immutability) of Jesus Christ could be inferred from His deity, even if it were not explicitly stated. God doesn’t change over the ages, so neither does Jesus, who is God.

b. His unchanging nature provides a measure for all Christian conduct, particularly in the word and in worship. We should not expect something completely “new” as if it were from a “new Jesus.” The nature of Jesus as it is revealed in the Bible is the same nature of Jesus that should be seen in the church today.

2. (Heb 13:9-14) Following the rejected Jesus.

Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.

a. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines: There has never been a shortage of various and strange doctrines in the church. The ones specifically in mind here seem to deal with a return to Mosaic ceremonies and laws that were fulfilled in Jesus.

b. For it is good that the heart be established by grace: Our hearts will only be established by grace. We are established by an understanding and appropriation of God’s undeserved approval of us, and not by an assumed approval gained through keeping a list of rules (not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them).

c. We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat: These Jewish Christians had probably been branded as illegitimate by other Jews because they did not continue the Levitical system. But the writer to the Hebrews insists that we have an altar, and it is an altar that those who insist on clinging to the Levitical system have no right to.

i. Essentially, our altar is the cross - the centerpiece of the Christian gospel and understanding (1Co 1:18-24; 1Co 2:1-5).

d. Jesus . . . suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach: If our Savior was rejected and His sacrifice (performed at the cross, our altar) was branded illegitimate, what better do we expect? Identifying with Jesus often means bearing His reproach, the very thing many are quite unwilling to do.

i. Outside the camp: The camp referred to is institutional Judaism, which had rejected Jesus and Christianity. Though these Christians from Jewish backgrounds had been raised to consider everything outside the camp as unclean and evil, they must follow Jesus there.

e. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come: The difficult job of bearing His reproach is easier when we remember that the city or society we are cast out of is only temporary. We seek, and belong to, the permanent city yet to come.

3. (Heb 13:15-16) Our sacrifice.

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

a. Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God: Because we do have an altar (the cross) and we do have a High Priest (Jesus), we should always offer sacrifices. But they are not the bloody sacrifices of the old covenant, but the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips.

i. The writer to the Hebrews spells out several essentials for proper praise.

• Praise that pleases God is offered by Him, that is, by Jesus Christ, on the ground of His righteousness and pleasing God.

• Praise that pleases God is offered continually, so that we are always praising Him.

• Praise that pleases God is a sacrifice of praise, in that it may be costly or inconvenient.

• Praise that pleases God is the fruit of our lips, more than just thoughts directed towards God. It is spoken out unto the Lord, either is prose or in song. “What proceeds from the lips is regarded as fruit, which reveals the character of its source, as the fruit of a tree reveals the nature of the tree.” (Guthrie)

b. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased: Praise is not the only sacrifice that pleases God. We also perform sacrifice that pleases God when we do good and share. Praise and worship are important, but the Christian’s obligation do not end there.

4. (Heb 13:17) Follow your leaders.

Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

a. Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive: We are to be submissive to the leaders God has given us (assuming they have the character mentioned in Heb 13:7). We are simply told to obey those who rule over us. When speaking on the authority of God’s Word, leaders do have a right to tell us how to live and walk after God.

i. Sadly, many have taken the idea of submission to leaders in the church much too far; the “Shepherding Movement” was a clear example of this kind of abuse (which many seem to welcome, wanting someone else to be responsible for their lives). “A teacher should teach us to submit to God, not to himself.” (Chuck Smith)

b. As those who must give account: Why should we obey and submit to our leaders? Because God has put them in a place of responsibility and accountability over us. Of course, this does not relieve individual responsibility, but it puts an additional accountability and responsibility to leaders.

c. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you: Cooperative conduct is not only a joy to leaders, but it is profitable for the whole body. It is for our own sake that we should obey and submit to God-appointed leaders.

C. Concluding remarks.

1. (Heb 13:18-19) A request for prayer.

Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

a. Pray for us: The writer to the Hebrews considered it important that others pray for him. We all need and should welcome the prayers of others.

i. In the grammar of the ancient Greek language, pray is in the present imperative verb tense. It looks for continuous activity and implies that they had already been praying for him.

b. That I may be restored to you the sooner: There were obstacles preventing the writer from being reunited with his readers. He knew that prayer could remove those obstacles.

i. I especially urge you to do this: As far as the writer to the Hebrews is concerned, their prayers will determine if and when he is reunited with them. This shows how seriously he regarded their prayers for him.

2. (Heb 13:20-21) A blessing is pronounced.

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

a. This is a blessing in the style of the priestly blessing of Num 6:22-27: The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

b. In this blessing, God is first recognized in His attributes: peace, power (brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead), loving care (that great Shepherd), and ever giving love (the blood of the everlasting covenant).

i. The idea of the everlasting covenant has been taken to express the covenant that existed before the foundation of the world between the Persons of the Godhead, working together for the salvation of man. Other passages which may speak to this everlasting covenant are Rev 13:8, Eph 1:4, and 2Ti 1:9.

ii. Some, however, simply take the everlasting covenant as another name for the New Covenant.

c. Then, the desire for blessing is expressed: complete in every good work, God’s working in you, and all through Jesus Christ.

3. (Heb 13:22-25) Conclusion to the letter to the Hebrews.

And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words. Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly. Greet all those who rule over you, and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you. Grace be with you all. Amen.

a. Bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words: The writer to the Hebrews reminds us of his purpose. His desire was to write a word of exhortation, that would encourage discouraged Christians, both then and now.

i. In Act 13:15, the phrase word of exhortation is used to refer to a sermon. Perhaps the writer to the Hebrews means in Heb 13:22 that he has given his readers a written sermon.

b. Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly: These final words give us a few tantalizing hints of the writer’s identity. But these words only tells us that the writer knew Timothy, and that he planned to visit his readers soon. It also tells us that his readers were based in Italy (Those from Italy greet you), probably in the city of Rome.

c. Grace be with you all: This is a fitting end for a book that documents the passing of the Old Covenant and the institution of the New Covenant. Grace be with you all indeed, under what God has given through the superior Savior, Jesus Christ! Amen!

Abundant Grace for Transformation

Once More on Exceedingly Abundant Grace for Transformation

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. (1Ti 1:12-14)

Before Paul believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, he spoke evil of Jesus, oppressed His followers, and exalted himself. “I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man.” Yet, God called Paul from this ungodly religious life and made him a faithful, fruitful servant of the Lord. Once more we will see this can only happen by exceedingly abundant grace for transformation.

This magnificent transformation process began with mercy, the necessary companion of grace. God’s mercy holds back the awful consequences that our ungodliness deserves. God’s grace brings us the wonderful blessings of godliness that we could never deserve. God was merciful toward Paul’s ignorant and unbelieving behavior. “But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” The ministry of grace that God would eventually give to Paul (as well as any ministry God has for us) was established upon mercy. “Therefore, since we have this ministry [new covenant grace—2Co 3:6], as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart” (2Co 4:1). God chose Paul to be a distinctive example of His rich mercy. “For this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life” (1Ti 1:16).

This grand project of transformation then proceeded with grace. “And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” This bountiful grace brought two spiritual blessings (faith and love) that would be essential for Paul’s ministry. Paul had been a man of religious works and self-righteousness. God turned him into a man of faith. “The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’ “ (Rom 1:17). He had been a man of cruel hatred and religious prejudice. God turned him into a man of love. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love” (Gal 5:6).

O Lord of rich mercy and exceedingly abundant grace, I worship You. I thank You for mercifully holding back the judgment I deserved. I praise You for graciously bringing to me wonderful blessings that I could never deserve. Now, by Your bountiful grace, please work in my heart more faith and love, that I might serve and honor You more effectively. In Your mighty name I pray, Amen.